Adjustable and washable lady&#39;s hat



April 25, 1939.

J. CARLSON ADJUSTABLE AND WASHABLE LADYS HAT Filed Feb. 15, 1958 I NVENTOR Jul ATTORNEY v Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Julius Carlson, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application February 15, 1938, Serial No. 190,579

6 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable hats for ladies and contemplates the provision of a hat particularly adapted for sportswear and for summer wear, the hat being not only adjustable, but

v being also readily washable and adapted to be ironed or pressed after being washed.

My invention contemplates the provision of a hat having an open brim or crown, or both brim and crown, and of means for adjusting the effective head size to adjust the hat to fit the head of any wearer, the crown and brim being so constructed as to be adjustable with each other.

My invention further contemplates the provision of an adjustable hat made of suitable washable material and presenting a good appearance, wherein the adjustable brim may be detached from the crown, if desired, for use as a collar to ornament the dress of the wearer.

My invention further contemplates the provision of simple but efficient means for adjusting the head size of a washable lady's hat.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows, and from the drawing, in which,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a ladys hat to which my invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section of the same, showing the adjusting means in detail.

. Fig. 3 is an elevational view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the brim and part of the crown, showing the manner in which they are secured together.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of a modified form of the invention wherein the adjacent rear parts of the crown are unsecured to each other to permit said parts to overlap when the head size is sufiiciently reduced.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevational view of another modified form of the invention in which the brim is omitted, and an adjustable finishing band substituted therefor.

Fig.7 is a fragmentary top view of an adjustable hat to which my invention is applied showing an open and detachable crown.

In the practical embodiment of the invention shown by way of example in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, both the brim l0 and the crown I I are preferably made of suitable washable textile material such as linen, pique, silk, rayon or other suitable fabric. The brim It may be constructed in any of the usual ways, but for purposes of illustration, is shown in Fig. 4 as being made of a sheet of fabric doubled on itself and having the inner ends I2 and I3 thereof secured in place. It will, however, be understood that the brim may be made of two or more sheets and suitably reinforced as by means of an inner sheet of washable material in a manner which is well known in connection with collars and hence which need not be further described nor illustrated. It will further be understood that the crown I I may be lined or unlined as may be found desirable and that said crown is secured to the brim by any of the usual and customary constructions now used for that purpose in nonadjustable hats. As shown in Fig. 4 wherein the crown is unlined, I prefer to turn the lower edge it 01": the crown upwardly and to stitch it to the inner edges I2 and I3 of the brim and then to enclose the edges I2, I3 and Hi within a suitable binding and finishing. tape as l5, by stitching passing through all of said edges and through the tape.

In those cases where the brim I0 is employed, I prefer to use an open brim as distinguished from a closed brim. That is, I prefer to use a brim having separable adjacent end portions as l6 and I1, whereby by bringing the end portions closer to gether, the effective innermost diameter of the brim is reduced and by spreading said end portions II, II apart, the effective inner diameter or head size of the brim and of the hat is increased. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the innermost edge of the brim is secured to the edge of the crown I I, except at the space between the brim ends I6 and I? where, of course, it cannot be secured, and for a distance adjacent to said space. In adjusting the hat by moving the brim ends I6 and I1 closer together, the diameter of the crown at its juncture with the brim is also reduced so that a pleat 9 is formed in the unsecured part of the crown, said 35 pleat being widest at its bottom and decreasing in width toward its top of the crown.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the pleat 9 is shown as being formed to the right of the space between the brim ends it and II. In order to provide a maximum range of adjustment, that portion of the crown between the points I8 and 28 (Fig. 2) is left unsecured to the brim. When, therefore, the ends it and I! are spaced apart, the pleat 9 is unfolded more or less, but the maximum brim and crown s ze is attained when the crown is stretched to its limit between the points of attachment I8 and 20 thereof. It will be understood that as the amount of the lower edge of the crown which is unattached to the brim is increased, that is, as the distance between the points of attachment l8 and 20 is increased, the greater will be the range of adjustment of the head size of the resulting hat.

The same is true even if the brim II] is completely omitted, as is shown in the modification disclosed in Fig. 6. There the lowermost edge or base is finished by means of a suitable finishing band 2 I, constituting a stiffening and head-engaging member for the base of the crown. Said member is secured to the crown base by stitching 22 or in any other suitable manner and is preferably made of suitable textile material, though it may be finished with leather or the like on the inside in an obvious manner, if desired, to form a sweat band. The stitching 22 terminates at the points I8 and 20 to leave the intermediate portion 23 of the band unstitched to the crown. However, an optional suitable loop as 25, secured to the crown and depending therefrom and through which the unsecured portion 23 of the band passes, serves to connect the otherwise unsecured portion of the crown to the band and to prevent undue displacement thereof.

Means are provided for adjusting the distances between the points I8 and 26 whether a brim is used at the base of the crown or whether a finishing or head-engaging band is there used. As shown in Fig. 2, the extended end portion I9, of the binding I for that part of the brim including the end I6, is continued past the point I8 and instead of being secured to the crown or brim, is brought in front of the adjacent secured part of the binding and doubled back on itself to form the loop 25, said portion I9 being secured in place by any suitable means such as the stitching 25. The binding I5 for that part of the brim including the end Il may terminate at said end I! as shown in Fig. 2, or it may be continued past said end to form the strap 2'! as shown in Fig. 1. Said strap 21 is provided with a suitable end loop as 28 made of wire or of the material of the strap itself as may be preferred. The loop 28 passes about the member I9 to guide the end of the strap 21 in its movement along said member as the hat is adjusted.

Carried by the loop 25 is the clamping buckle 29 which may be of any of the usual types used for clamping straps together. As shown, however, the buckle comprises a base part 30 provided with the slot 3| for the passage therethrough of the loop 25, said base part having at its edges the spaced outstanding hinge lugs 32. The clamping member 33 of the buckle is hinged as at 34 to the lugs 32 and is provided with a serrated clamping edge as 35. The strap 21 passes between the base 30 and the teeth of the clamping edge 35 so that when the clamping member 33 is rotated about its hinge into strap clamping position against the base, the toothed edge 35 engages the strap 21 and clamps it to the buckle and in place relatively to the loop member IS, thus preventing the brim parts IS and I I from spreading any further apart, and determining the head size of the hat.

As shown at the right of Fig. 2', the binding I5 for the brim end IT terminates at said end I! and does not extend therebeyond. To replace the strap extension 27, however, but functioning for the same purpose, a separate strap as 36 is provided, said strap carrying a suitable snap fastener element such as the stud 3'! at its right end and carrying the loop 28 embracing the member I9 at its left end. On the binding I5 and to the right of the brim end I! are arranged a number of snap fastener elements such as the sockets 38 adapted to cooperate with the stud 3'! to fasten the right end of the strap 36 to the brim part I5. The sockets 38 being arranged in longitudinal spaced relation, it will be seen that a preliminary coarse adjustment of the relative distance between the brim ends I6 and I1 and simultaneous adjustment of the pleat 9 of the crown to determine the head size may be accomplished by means of the strap 36 and final accurate adjustment of the head size by the buckle 29.

It will further be understood that when the stud 31 of the strap 36 is detached from its selected cooperating socket 38 on the binding I5, there being nothing but the crown to hold the brim ends I6 and I1 together, the brim may be spread out comparatively fiat insofar as it is permitted by the crown for the purpose of ironing or pressing the brim and the crown, the crown being also spread out to a greater extent than would otherwise be possible in a hat and therefore being adapted to be easily pressed or ironed.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, adjacent selected rear edges as 40 and 4| of the crown may be left unsecured together so that no pleat is made in the crown when the hat is adjusted to a small head size, but instead those portions of the crown adjacent the unsecured edges 40 and 4| are overlapped. The adjusting means for the crown and brim in this form of the invention may remain the same as those previously described.

As shown in Fig. '7, the binding 55 is continued past both the end edges of the brim 56 to form the loop 25 and the strap 21, the strap carrying the guide loop 28 and the loop 25 carrying the buckle 29 as has been hereinbefore described in connection with Figs. 1 and 6. The crown bands 53, 54 are detachably secured to the binding 55 so that the brim may be used for acollar or the like, when desired.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, but intend to claim the invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable and washable hat for ladies, a discontinuous brim having adjacent and relatively movable ends, a crown carried by and secured to the brim except along a predetermined part of its lower edge adjacent the movable ends of the brim, a binding for the juncture of the brim and crown, one end part of said binding being doubled back on itself and secured to form a loop, a strap part extending from the other end of said binding and carrying a loop slid-ably mounted'on the doubled back loop part of the binding, and an adjusting and clamping buckle mounted on said doubled back loop and adjustably receiving said strap part.

2. In an adjustable and washable hat for ladies, a flexible hat portion having a head opening therein, a finishing band for the edge of said opening, flexible inelastic overlapping extensions on said band, a loop secured to the end of one of the extensions and slidable on the other to maintain the extension in face-to-face relation in all adjusted positions thereof, a buckle fixed to one of said extensions and adjustably securing the extensions together to vary the effective size of said opening, and means for detachably securing an end of one of said extensions remote from the loop to the band.

3. In an adjustable and washable hat for ladies, a discontinuous brim terminating in relatively adjustable movable ends, a crown, a binding for the adjacent edges of the crown and brim, stitching securing the binding crown and brim together except along that part of the lower edge of the crown adjacent said movable ends, a pleat in the unsecured portion of the crown, and means for simultaneously adjusting the head size of the brim and crown comprising a clamping buckle flxed to the binding adjacent one of said movable ends, an extension on that part of the binding carrying said buckle, said extension being secured at its outer ends, a strap engageable by the buckle, a loop at one end of the strap slidable on the extension, a snap fastener element at the other end of the strap, and a series of longitudinally spaced cooperating snap fastener elements on the binding adjacent the other movable end of the brim, said elements cooperating to effect a preliminary coarse adjustment of the brim and crown and said buckle effecting the remainder of said adjustment.

4. In a ladys adjustable and washable hat adapted to be opened and flattened for pressing purposes, a flexible crown having a discontinuous lowermost edge and having an opening therein extending from the terminal points of the lowermost edge to the top of the crown, a discontinuous brim secured to said lowermost edge, and means at the base of the crown for adjusting the effective head size of the crown and brim, said means comprising a band secured to the hat at said lowermost edge and having end portions extending past each other in overlapping relation, a loop on one end of one portion engaging the other portion and maintaining said one end against displacement, cooperating means on the portions for detachably and adjustably securing said portions together, and means for holding an intermediate point of one portion to the other portion in relatively adjusted overlapping position.

5. In an adjustable and washable hat for ladies, a discontinuous brim terminating in relatively adjustable movable ends, a flexible crown, a band at the adjacent edges of the crown and brim, stitching securing the band, crown and brim together except along that part of the lower edge of the crown adjacent said movable ends, and means for simultaneously adjusting the head size of the brim and crown comprising an extension on the band adjacent one of said movable ends, a loop at one end of the extension passing about an adjacent part of the band. and holding said end of the extension in substantial face-to-face relation with the band, cooperating fastening means adjacent the other end of the extension and that part of the band adjacent thereto to maintain the extension against the band, and means intermediate the ends of the extension and carried by the band for holding said intermediate part of the extension adjustably to the band.

6. In an adjustable and washable hat for ladies, a discontinuous brim terminating in relatively adjustable movable ends, a crown, a band at the adjacent edges of the crown and brim, stitching securing the band, crown and brim together, and means for simultaneously adjusting the head size of the brim and crown comprising an end portion on the band doubled back on itself and secured to form a loop, a clamping buckle mounted on the doubled-back part of the end portion of the band, said buckle having a base and a hinged member pivoted to the base and provided with clamping teeth and a strap passing between the base and the hinged member of the buckle and forming an extension of the band adjacent the other movable end and overlapping the doubled-back buckle-carrying loop, said strap being clamped against the base by the hinged member of the buckle.

JULIUS CARLSON. 

